Have you ever thought that you might like to share your
experience or expertise? If so, inquire
with your human resource department about being a mentor. If they don’t offer programs for mentoring,
inquire at a local school for nurses. You can offer real life experiences, and answer questions for someone
about to enter the profession.
Mentoring 101
The number one rule in mentoring is to be
realistic. Don’t make the job sound like
a piece of cake; you will only be setting them up. There are good days and bad, so be honest and
say that. Things are not always easy,
and mistakes will happen. Always advise
that anyone making a mistake should own up to it. Nurses are not perfect, and accidents happen,
we are just human.
Talk about the good things in a nursing profession. Nurses are in general more dedicated to their
coworkers than any other profession. This is great because when you need help, advice, or guidance, a
coworker will be right there to assist you. There is truly a unique bond among most nurses; everyone helps everyone
out whenever the need arises.
Discuss the great things nurses do for the patients
they care for. Helping a sick or injured
patient to recover and walk out, is the goal of every nurse. It’s always nice to see a patient re-gain
health, and it’s an honor to know you were a part of the reason.
Talk about the details that are imperative. Patient names, right dosage, right
medications, it is all vital in nursing, getting it wrong could cause
death. Most hospitals have check systems
in place to help with getting injections and medications safely delivered to
the right person. New nurses should be
advised to take their time, it’s better to be a little slow than to make an
irreversible error.
Tell the nurses the most important thing of all for a
new nurse to remember is to ask for assistance when needed. Don’t proceed with something that you are
unsure of, or something that could cause harm to a patient. No one will ever fault a new nurse for double
checking that they have something right, it takes time to build confidence when
dealing with human life.
Offer a realistic expectation of the patient’s
families. Some are great, supportive of
their loved ones, and only want to offer their help to the nurse. However, on occasion you may get a family or
family member that has some very unrealistic expectations for their loved
ones. You can coach the new nurse into
developing a knack to have some assertiveness when needed. Allowing patients and their families to
dictate what you do is not a good habit to get into. It’s best to stick to a routine, and advise
family members that this is how things are done. Accommodate when you can within reason, but
your job as a nurse tending to the patient is first and foremost, and should be
the main consideration.
Working with a new nurse can be very rewarding, as you
are introducing them to their career. What you say and do will most likely stay with them throughout their
careers. Be patient when giving
instructions and allow plenty of time for questions and comments. If working within a hospital setting, and
providing it’s permit table, allow the new nurse to try some hands-on work with
the patients. Don’t introduce them to
the patient as a student, it may make them feel uncomfortable, and possibly do
the same to the patient. Discuss losing
a patient, this is never an easy topic, however it most likely will happen at
some point. Of course, we all feel bad
when family members lose a loved one; you can offer the tip of rotating eyes to
higher elevations, toward the ceiling. These
blocks tear ducks temporarily, preventing the flow of tears. You want to show sympathy to family members,
but it’s also important to maintain that level of being professional.
Being a good mentor is a big responsibility, and will
impact a new nurse for their career. Take your time, and take that role very seriously,
as you are their temporary teacher.
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